Great North season begins
A pair of doubleheaders tops the slate of activity as the 2018-2019 Great North Midget Hockey League season gets going this weekend.
Soo Major Midget Thunderbirds will play host to the Timmins Majors tonight at 8:30 p.m. at GFL Memorial Gardens and Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at John Rhodes Community Centre.
Meanwhile, the reigning champion Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves are home to the Kapuskasing Flyers on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at noon at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
Goal-tending is expected to be a strength for both the Soo and Timmins this season.
The Major Midget Thunderbirds have returnee Andrew Uschenko and rookie Noah Zeppa as their net tandem. Zeppa was a standout with the Soo Minor Midget Thunderbirds in 2017-2018.
Over to Timmins, second-year Majors head coach Brandon Perry has stated that he expects holdover Dylan Dallaire and newcomer Connor Johnson to provide the maroon and gold with exceptional net-minding this season.
As for Sudbury and Kapuskasing, the Nickel Capital Wolves and Flyers are studies in contrast.
The Nickel Caps are in rebuild mode after going with a veteran-laden team in 2017-2018 as Telus Cup national tournament hosts. Sudbury also underwent a coaching change during the off season as long-time bench boss Peter Michelutti Jr. gave way to Brian Dickinson.
On the flip side, Glen Denney is back as the head coach in Kapuskasing where the Flyers are poised to become a top major midget team in 2018-2019 featuring the likes of forward Kobe Barrette, who was a rookie standout with Timmins in 2017-2018.
PHOTO: Goalie Noah Zeppa moves up from the Soo Minor Midget Thunderbirds to the Soo Major Midget Thunderbirds this season. (Photo by Ali Pearson.)